Positioning yourself behind your steel. Where do you sit?

David DeLoach · From: Tennessee, USA

So I'm new to the Stringmaster world and trying to figure out the best place to sit behind the Stringmaster.

I guess the best was I can think of to ask this question is what fret does your navel line up with when you are sitting? 12th fret? 17th fret? 24th fret? The pickups?

I guess if you stand while playing it will be easier to move left/right as needed, however I don't think my knees will like standing for long periods of time.

Rich Gardner · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

I think sometimes people over analyze.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I usually like my right leg outside of the guitar legs, which tends to pull me towards the bridge a little more, which can make intonating on the lower strings more difficult. Since I don't always use a volume pedal, I tend to move my body when necessary to make it easier to play low on the neck, but we are talking just an inch or two.

Comfort is a big factor in steel playing and I don't think it can be overstated.
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David DeLoach · From: Tennessee, USA

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

I don't think you are overanalyzing at all.

I like to center my navel approximately midway between the nut and the bridge.

To add to your question, I'd also be curious to know at what height people like to set their steels. This is something I struggle with. I like to set my Stringmaster fretboard at the same level as my navel and any variation from this really seems to negatively affect my palm blocking and picking accuracy. Is there a rule of thumb as far as height goes?

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

I like to sit with my centre line of my body being at the 15th fret .

I angle the steel at a 45 degree angle away from my body. Both feet under.
Position it slightly lower than piano position.

Good question though.
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Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

It's a personal thing for every player, I think. Everyone's anatomy is different. The most important thing is not to put the body in a position of long-term stress. John Ely has talked about how being in an incorrect position caused a serious condition called "frozen shoulder" so this is an important topic.

Here are some pics of how various players have positioned themselves. I've seen later pics of Byrd playing in a stand ing position where the front of his guitar is much more significantly angled forward toward the floor than this early 60s pic of him at his namesake Ric. The last shot - of Billy Robinson - shows him sitting with his knees close to the pickup end of the instrument.

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Roy Thomson · From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada

I feel more in control when my elbows are slightly lower than my hands.
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Many like to pick around the 20th fret. Positioning for that is a first step. That was where I picked with lap steel and now with pedal steel.

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Even allowing for camera angle, the forward tilt is pretty evident here ...

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Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=264468&view=next&sid=ce4c25a368ed4e5c2f5cf0f48c37970a

Lately I have had some trouble playing in the higher octaves on lapsteel.
I have always centered the steel evenly on my knees, figuring that the 12 fret should be in the middle... right?

Maybe I am just playing in the high register more, or my wrists are getting old but it's getting painful to play up there.

It's much easier with the steel guitar on a stand rather than on the lap, partly because I have more belly clearance!

But recently I have been "CENTERING" myself to the right of the 12th fret... more like the 15th or so,
and this does the trick.

My bar hand has far more reach to the left anyway and now I can play up high without discomfort.

I am performing much more often now as well as practicing daily and playing at Church on Sundays.

I also play pedal steel, but there is not much I can do about it being locked in by the knee levers.

Dom
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Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

Tom Pettingill · From: California, USA (deceased)

Rick Bernauer · From: Kansas, USA

I'm a big fan of Kayton Roberts and he shifts quite a bit to the right and sets his steel fairly low.

Bob Russell · From: Virginia, USA

George Rout · From: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

It reminds me of the time someone bought a legless Console Grande and wanted to know the "correct height". After several posts of various heights in inches, I suggested the height of mine. I couldn't tell you in inches, but it was the "most comfortable height" whatever that measures!!!!!!!

Geo
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Steve Green · From: Gulfport, MS, USA

Kayton Roberts has always sat near this bridge end of his guitar, and kept it set up rather low. Here he is next to Little Roy Wiggins.

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George Rout · From: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Two of my favourite steelers from the good times....
G
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"I play in the A Major tuning. It's fun to learn and so easy to play. It's as old as the hills....like me"

David DeLoach · From: Tennessee, USA

Thanks guys!

I've done some trial & error and found that if my right leg is outside the legs of the Stringmaster, that's a good place for me.

I also slightly tilted the guitar so that the neck closest to me is a bit higher than the farthest neck (like in the photo Andy Henriksen posted above - but with much less of a tilt).

Also, I'm using a drum throne to sit on and I raised it so that the strings of the closest neck are about level will my navel.

This seems to be working well for me. One of my biggest challenges of transitioning from my 6 string Gibson BR9 lap steel & square neck resonator to the Stringmaster is the tighter string spacing on the Stringmaster and picking the correct strings. By raising the height of my seat, I'm more on top of the strings and it's helped with the accuracy of my right hand.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Roy Bucanan in an old Guitar Player interview ...

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Miles Lang · From: Venturaloha

I play standing up, and tend to shift my stance based on where I'm playing on the neck. It makes it easier on my knees if I move a little.

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

I find the "sweet spot" on the instrument I'm playing, and I put my body to where it's comfortable to play without contorting.
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Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

I was taught to sit centered at the 15th fret, it seems to be a pretty common suggestion.

I would say the most important part of this, once you decide where you want to position yourself, is to be consistent so you can attain good body memory to help with your accuracy in the long run
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Jim Newberry · From: Seattle, Upper Left America

With my belly, I still need binoculars to see the fretboard.

When I play Cajun music, I seldom with do anything above the 12th fret, so even with a dual pro, I don't need to put my right leg "outside". When playing other music, I've gravitated to my centerline at about 15. If I stand, I wiggle, so it don't matta nohow.
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